<b>Money Island</b>

Croakers and white perch were reeled from the docks, said Bruce from <b>Money Island Marina</b>. That’s on Nantuxent Creek, and sometimes blowfish were nipped from the docks. Sharks also bit there. Summer flounder fishing was slow on the bay in past days. Not even many throwbacks hooked were reported. On Sunday, one keeper flounder was caught, the shop’s Facebook page said. One angler that day landed 40 croakers, it said. That was apparently from the docks. On Monday, no boats headed for the bay, and croakers and perch were nabbed at a slow pace from the docks. Commercial boaters caught bunker and crabs steadily from the bay. “They’ve kept us stocked with plenty of fresh bait,” the page said. The marina features a boat ramp, boat slips, dry-dock boat storage, gas, bait and a few items of tackle. Baits stocked currently usually include minnows, spearing, mackerel and other frozen bait. Live grass shrimp are usually carried on weekends. A bushel of fresh bunker is normally kept on ice on weekends to sell.

<b>Newport</b>

At <b>Beaver Dam Boat Rentals</b>, crabbing was improving, not gangbusters, Paul said. The number of keepers trapped per trip varied, depending on the crabbers’ skill, but more than a dozen was probably the average per trip. Many crabbers returned with three dozen, and some of the boats Monday had already totaled a half-bushel apiece, and were still crabbing, when Paul gave this report that afternoon in a phone call. The year’s first bushel was trapped two weekends ago from the shop, covered in the last report here. Those same crabbers picked up three-quarters of a bushel on a trip this weekend.  The crabbing wasn’t as good as Paul would expect, but it kept improving recently, and wasn’t declining. Crab sizes were becoming larger. A significant number of 6-inchers were seen, and a few crabs approached 7 inches. The blueclaws shed during last week’s full moon. Crabs shed to grow on full and new moons, and that can slow crabbing, because crabs hesitate to eat while shedding. But not all crabs shed on all those moons. During the moon Friday, squid became almost the only bait that trapped crabs. On one trip that day, a husband fished with squid, and complained that crabs kept grabbing the bait. So the wife began crabbing with squid, instead of chicken she used previously. She ended up with a good catch of crabs, and they told other boaters about the bait, and the others also pasted crabs on squid then. Paul and crew had previously noticed that squid can work during the shed. Crabbers from New York used squid for bait on a trip last year, cleaning up on crabs during a shed, better than other crabbers using other bait. For anglers on the creek, croakers disappeared that bit before, but white perch fishing remained fairly good. Customers crab and fish from rental boats towed up Oranokin Creek, running past the shop. The staff checks on them every hour, and if crabbers want a break in the meantime, they simply cell-phone the store to be picked up. Reserve the boats ahead of time, because they do book up. Beaver Dam stocks everything needed for crabbing, from bait, traps and nets to snacks, drinks and suntan lotion. Rental kayaks and canoes are available to paddle the scenic creek, and also reserve them ahead of time. Beaver Dam hosts groups like scouts and family reunions, and can provide an educational day about the environment. Visit <a href=" http://www.crabulousnj.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">Beaver Dam’s website</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

<b>Fins & Grins Sportfishing</b> tugged in bluefish, kingfish and occasional summer flounder off Cape May Point, Capt. Jim said. That’s at the confluence of Delaware Bay and the ocean, and one trip took a look near the 2 buoy on the bay, finding acres and acres of small weakfish. So the trip moved back to fish off Cape May Point. Trips depart from the slip on the back bay at Wildwood to fish Delaware Bay aboard. A handful of keeper flounder hugged ocean reefs, and Jim expects that angling to just get better, until flounder season is closed starting September 27. September could be the month for that angling. One of the inshore shark trips sailed aboard, tying into a couple of the big fish. Fins lately fished for the sharks at Cape May Channel off Cape May Point, and on the ocean at Wildwood.  But any structure will hold them. The sharks are mostly sand tigers, required to be released. Fins is tagging them for NOAA and letting them go, and the sand tigers averaged 250 pounds. One weighed almost 400 recently. Plenty of bluefish schooled ocean shoals like 5-Fathom Bank, and Fins also fishes for them. Exotics like Spanish mackerel and mahi mahi can be mixed in. Fins fishes for all species available, and trips fish every day. Reservations aren’t required but suggested, and telephone for availability.

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